Field of the Invention
Devices and methods provided herein relate generally to devices that convert kinetic energy into electricity, and more particularly to pivoting arms that convert random movement of extrinsic oscillation into purposeful movement that can be used to generate electricity, and various methods for their use.
Related Art
In recent years, there has been a substantial influx in the ‘green energy’ market related to devices and methods for producing energy from fuel sources other than fossil fuels. The burning of fossil fuels has been the convention for providing both mechanical energy as well as electrical energy. In particular, many large scale electric generators use the burning of fossil fuels to create and convert mechanical energy to electrical energy. The reliance on fossil fuels in both large and small scale applications, is driving a depletion of many conventional fossil fuel sources, and may soon be unsustainable to meet our large energy demands. It is also a widely-held belief among scientists that the burning of these fossil fuels is adding to climate change. As a result, we believe that now is the time for innovation in energy production devices and methods which employ sustainable alternative fuel sources.
Conventional alternative energy devices known today include wind turbines, solar cells, geothermal and hydro-electric generators and others. These innovations have provided a huge step toward the long-term goal of cutting our reliance on fossil fuels, however, they have many drawbacks. These methods can be costly, both in monetary terms and in the energy consumption required to manufacture them. A wind turbine or solar farm typically costs millions of dollars to build, install, and maintain and are often deemed unsightly. In addition, the unpredictability of wind and weather can cause these units to go unused for quite some time. Hydro-electric plants rely on the proximity of a water source and the building of a dam which can be destructive to the local habitat.
Harvesting natural resources and developing sustainable energy sources that provide viable alternatives to fossil fuels calls for the creation of specialized devices. Therefore, it is desirable to develop devices which produce electricity without the limitations of fossil fuels and the inflexibility and unpredictability of current green energy sources.